Valve rack



Aprfl M), E951 T. P. CARRAHER VALVE RACK Filed Jan. 6, 1947 N U v H H INVEN TOR.

A T TORNE Y R E H A R R A C P w m T Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE VALVE RACK Thomas P. Carraher, Denver, 0010. ApplicationJanuary 6, 1947, SeriaLhTo. 720,338 a 1 Claim. (01. 211-43) Thisinvention relates to improvements in devices for supporting valves andvalve guides in a predetermined order during a motor overhaul.

When internal combustion engines, for example, such engines as haveeight cylinders, are taken apart for the purpose of repair, forinstance, for the purpose of grinding the valve seats or otherwise, itis necessary that the valves and valve guide be repositioned in theplaces from which they were removed, as it sometimes happens that thevalve stem and valve lifters are of slightly different lengths for thedifferent cylinders.

It has been customary to provide a stick of wood with a number of holesthrough which the valves may be inserted when removed from the engineand thus kept in a predetermined order, enabling the mechanic to replacethem in the exact order in which they were removed.

It is the object of this invention to produce a device of a simpleconstruction that will facilitate thehandling of the valves and valveguides and make it comparatively easy for the operator to replace themin their proper positions.

It is the further object of this invention to produce a device for thepurpose specified which shall have printed or stamped therein a table bymeansof which the mechanic can determine exactly how the differentpistons are to be positioned so a t expedite the insertion of thevalves.

This invention can be most readily described and understood whenreference is had to the accompanying drawing in which it has beenillustrated in its preferred form, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device;

Figure 2 is a section taken on line 2-2, Figures 1, 3 and. 4;

Figure 3 is a side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 3, inFigure 2; and

Figure 4 is a side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 4, inFigure 2.

- The device which forms the subject of this invention is made fromsheet metal of any suitable kind, preferably from a sheetof soft steelbent into the form of a trapezoid. The base of the trapezoid has beendesignated by reference numeral 5 in Figure 2 and the top has beendesignated by reference numeral 6, while the sides have been designatedby reference numerals I and 8. Member 6 is the top and this i providedwith a number of round openings 9 of the proper size to receive thevalve guides. In the present embodiment the device is made moreparticularly for use with engines of the V-type, such as the Fordengine, but may, of course, be used with any other engine constructed ina similar manwill be observed that the numeral I is positioned I betweenthe two upper holes II] in Figure 4 and this indicates that they'are,for the reception of the two valves belonging tq cylinder I. On the top6, the letter X indicates that the corresponding hole I 0 isfor theexhaust valve of cylinder I,

. while the letters. N indicate the intake valves.

This arrangement identifies the valves for each of the four cylinders onone side of the V-block and a corresponding arrangement is provided forthe valves and valve guides relating to the cylinders on the otherV-block.

It will be observed that sides 1 have openings for eight valvescorresponding to cylinders l to 4 and that side 8 has eight openings forthe, reception of the valves belonging to cylinders 5 to 8, the openingsbeing identified as above explained.

In Figure 2, two valves have been indicated by broken lines anddesignated by reference numeral II. It will be observed that they restwith'the end of the valve stem on the inner surface of bottom 5 and thatthe valve stem is supported on the lower edge of openings [0. The valveguides have been designated by reference numerals l2.

When the mechanic removes the valves and valve guides from the engineblock, he takes care to position the valves in the proper openings andthe valve guides in the corresponding openings 9, in top 6. By means ofthis rack the mechanic can readily keep the valves and valve guides insuch position that he will have no difficulty in repositioning them inthe places from which they were removed and in this way a large amountof time and labor is saved.

As above stated, the valves are usually independently adjusted forclearness with respect to the valve tappets and unless they are replacedso as to cooperate with the tappet with which they were originallyadjusted, it becomes necessary to readjust all of the valves. If this isnot done, the mechanic must spend a lot of time testing to de-v terminewhere each valve belongs. Although the valve guides are more readilyinterchangeable than the valves, it has been found desirable to soposition these on the racks that they can be replaced in the exactposition from which they I were removed and in which position they willcooperate with the valve belonging to that position.

The upper surface of the rack has a six-line table of abbreviations thatinstruct the mechanic in the best way of positioning the engine parts soas to facilitate the insertion and removal of the valves. Line 1 is asfollows:

which interpreted means with number four exhaust valve and number Iintake valve in valve open position and piston in dead center. Line 2 isas follows: 2X. 3X. 3N. 6N. IX. 8N which interpreted means exhaustvalves 2 3 and l and intake valves 3, 6 and 8 may be removed or replacedwith the engine positioned as in line 1.

Line 3 is as follows: 3X. 8N. V0. IDC and designates the second positionof the engine which, interpreted, is position engine with exhaust valve3 and intake ,valve 8 in valve open position and piston l at deadcenter.

Line 4, specifies the valves that may be removed or reinserted when theengine is positioned as in line 3 and reads: I X. IN. 4X. SK. and TNwhich, interpreted is exhaust valves I, 4 and 5 and intake valves I, -2and 1 may now be removed or replaced.

7 ln'line 5 from the top we find: IX. 1N. VO. 8DC, which gives the thirdposition of the engine, namely, with number I exhaust valve and numher Iintake valve in valve open position and piston Q on dead center.

The last line is: 4N. 5N. 6X. 8X, which means that in the third engineposition intake valves 4 and '5 and exhaust valves 6 and 8 may beinserted and removed.

By following the directions, the mechanic finds that in the three enginepositions, the valves designated are in the best position for removaland insertion.

The rack above described and shown on the drawing is very simple butgreatly expedites and simplifies the removal and replacement of valvesand guides. By means of this rack the danger of getting the valves mixedis obviated. {Ifhe bottom 6 may be omitted, if desired, as its functionis merely to give the rack greater rigidity and to support the ends ofthe valve stem.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A rack for use in removal and replacement of valves and valve guides inengines, the valves being of the type having circular heads andelongated circular stems, and the valve guides being circular andprovided with projecting flanges, comprising an elongatedmember of sheetmaterial having a top wall and a bottom wall disposed in parallelrelationship and downwardly and outwardly diverging side walls, themember, in section, being trapezoidal in shape, pairs of transverselyaligned openings in the side walls spaced vapart at least as great asthe diameter of a valve head and of a size at least as great as thediameter 7 of a valve stem, said openings being closer to the topcorners of the member than to the bottom corners, the side walls beingspaced apart a distance such that a valve stem may rest in an open ingwith its free end resting on the bottom wall, transversely aligned pairsof openings in the top wall adjacent the top corners of such size aswill receive a valve guide with the flange of the guide resting on thetop wall and spaced from the flange on a transversely aligned valveguide, the last named openings being staggered with respect to the firstnamed openings in such manner that portions .of the valve guides adaptedto extend downwardly within the member may be disposed within spacesbetween adjacent valve stems.

THOMAS P. vCARRAHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

